51,000 Alberta Teachers Begin Provincewide Strike

Alberta's largest teachers' strike began Monday as about 51,000 members of the Alberta Teachers' Association walked off the job, canceling classes at roughly 2,000 schools and affecting more than 730,000 kindergarten-to-Grade-12 students. School boards advised families not to send children to school buildings or bus stops, and the provincial government announced emergency measures including $30 per day per child for those 12 and under, a temporary boost to child-care subsidies if the strike lasts more than five days, an online lessons toolkit, lifted distance-education credit caps and free under-18 entry to provincial cultural sites. More than 20,000 Albertans rallied in Edmonton and Calgary on World Teachers' Day, with ATA leaders Jason Schilling and Heather Quinn calling for stronger funding, smaller class sizes and more classroom supports. Negotiations have been deadlocked since the 51,000-member teachers' contract expired on Aug. 31, 2024; teachers previously rejected a mediator’s May proposal that would have provided a 12% wage increase over four years, and bargaining centers on salaries, growing class sizes and additional support staff. Premier Danielle Smith called the strike a "lose-lose-lose" and urged a return to talks, while the government said it was ready to resume negotiations and the ATA said teachers would not picket but would press community rallies and public solidarity. The labour action is unfolding amid wider tensions in Alberta education, including recent student walkouts in Calgary protesting three controversial bills affecting transgender students.